Now then... over these past few weeks, I think there's been a whole lot going on in the personnel department.
Our Bounties got updated, new ones got set for the first time,
and then, just when you'd think that was settled, they got retracted in the blink of an eye because I joined the Shichibukai.
The former BW members and some of the Impel Down escapees joined the Golden Lion Pirates, and among them, Beauty and Blume became my close aides.
And on top of all that, Papa retired and I was appointed as the Second Generation Admiral.
But yeah, even with all that going on... there was actually one more big personnel change that happened.
Well, whether you can really call this a "personnel change" is honestly still debatable, but...
That person was right there in front of me, at that very moment.
Right before my eyes, both hands planted on the ground, head bowed low. Casting aside pride, fully aware of the shame, all to make a single request.
Three swords, what you might call his very life, laid out in a row before me.
"Please... teach me the sword!"
Saying that, pressing his forehead nearly to the floor, was him. Roronoa Zoro. All I could do was look down at him, utterly at a loss.
Oh, by the way, this is Asuka Island.
Right nearby were Maya-san, looking bewildered, and Saga, watching over Zoro's resolve.
...Excuse me!? Kuma!? (Second time now!)
This is the second time, after Brook, that I've run into a member of the Straw Hat Pirates in the middle of the "two years"!
I thought he sent this guy to Hawk-Eye's place... so why is he here!?
...Are you telling me to look after him!? For two years! Zoro!
***
Rewinding a bit to sort things out... after the Sabaody Archipelago incident, the Straw Hat Pirates got scattered to various places around the world. And apparently, Zoro was sent flying here, to Asuka Island.
The one who found him was Saga, who'd been startled by the impact and thunderous noise of the fall and came to investigate. And here's where it came to light that Zoro and Saga actually knew each other... or rather, they were childhood friends.
After receiving treatment and regaining consciousness a while later, Zoro was surprised to find Saga there when he woke up. After that, the two spent some time catching up on old times.
But once Zoro learned about the Summit War from the newspaper, he worried about Luffy and tried to set out to sea, wanting to head for Sabaody Archipelago as quickly as possible.
In this world, Ace didn't die, but still, it made sense he'd worry about Luffy getting caught up in such an outrageous battle. Or rather, throwing himself into it. Or more like diving headfirst in.
Naturally, Saga and Maya tried to stop him since his injuries were still severe... but Zoro shook them off and tried to set out anyway.
...However, his signature lack of direction reared its head in spectacular fashion here too, and he couldn't even make it to the port.
He wandered into the forest, ended up on a mountaintop, stumbled into the ruins where the Seven Star Sword had been sealed, got thoroughly lost. Eventually, for reasons unknown, he was found collapsed in front of Saga's house, completely spent.
While everyone was tilting their heads wondering, 'So he came back after all?' Saga alone understood what had happened and could only sigh.
After another stretch of recovery... this time Zoro saw the famous "3D2Y" message in the newspaper. From that point, he suddenly gave up on going to Luffy and threw himself into training to get stronger.
Fortunately, if you could call it that, Saga was there and close enough in skill, and both had extraordinary drive, so the two trained together for a while.
But even as Zoro felt the training with Saga was yielding results, he also carried a nagging unease. A feeling that this alone wouldn't be enough.
And when he brought this up to Saga, acknowledging it might be rude given they were training together, it turned out Saga had also been thinking about reaching out to a certain acquaintance in order to get to the next level.
...That acquaintance being me, of course.
The reasoning was that self-taught training inevitably hits a wall. He'd been consulting me about it.
And since I already had a scheduled visit to Saga's place at that point, I came to Asuka Island... and there was Zoro. I was floored.
Saga, being Saga, had forgotten to send an additional message or report, so that information never even reached me.
Naturally, Zoro was also surprised that the "acquaintance" Saga had mentioned turned out to be me... but for him, this situation was a godsend.
Not to toot my own horn, but as a swordswoman... honestly, I have the confidence and the pride to say I've reached a pretty impressive level.
After all, the ones who hammered swordsmanship into me were Rayleigh and Papa. Naturally, I've built up that kind of strength.
And so as not to disgrace those two, I'll say this without false modesty: I believe I've pushed my way into quite a high tier, even by New World standards.
Otherwise, I don't think I could have instantly taken down a Headquarters Vice Admiral or pushed Akainu that hard.
...Though those fights, I was using my Powers and the Seven Star Sword's mysterious power at full blast, to be fair.
'Man... analyzing your own strength is kind of embarrassing...'
At any rate, even setting Powers and Haki aside, I'm strong enough that I wouldn't lose to Zoro.
Zoro must have sensed that too... which is why he chose to study under me in order to get stronger.
Even if not on Hawk-Eye's level, he judged me to be a swordswoman standing far above him.
...Being the one judged worthy is a bit of a problem, though...
I have my own position and circumstances to think about... the Shichibukai, the Admiral title, and all that.
Even so, watching Zoro plead this desperately... I couldn't bring myself to refuse outright. Sigh, what to do.
'I really think he'd get stronger if he trained under Hawk-Eye like in the Original Work... but it's not like I can introduce them when I have no connection to the man...'
...Well, whatever. Fine.
I was already planning to lend Saga a hand with his training anyway... so I'd just expand the scope a bit and look after one more person.
Still, even with that decided, there were things I needed to properly establish and explain. As I briefly mentioned... I have a "position" now.
"...Before we even get into the teaching-swords thing... Zoro, and Saga too, let me confirm something."
"" ? ""
"I'm sure you know this if you've been reading the papers, but... I currently hold the position of Second Generation Admiral of the Golden Lion Pirates, right? If I may say so myself, it's a title inherited from a Legend of a Pirate that carries serious weight, even by New World standards. It's a name with no small significance. ...So to be under my care means, by extension, that shouldn't be taken lightly either."
To put it bluntly, if you're going to be under the care of someone bearing the Symbol, the Pirate Flag of the Golden Lion Pirates, then an appropriate price needs to be paid in return.
The most common, most obvious example would be... joining the Golden Lion Pirates, for instance.
The power I give you, you use for me. That's the gist of it.
You shouldn't expect charity from a Pirate to begin with. It's a demand that's only natural, when you think about it.
That said, when it comes to matters of obligation and honor like this, Zoro probably understood them far better than someone like me.
The man who insisted that "proper decorum" was required when Usopp wanted to rejoin in the Original Work... there's no way he didn't understand.
"But... Zoro, that's not what you want to do, is it? You don't look like someone who wants to leave Luffy."
"...Yeah, that's right."
"Same goes for you, Saga, right? I haven't heard anything about you wanting to become a Pirate... and you have no intention of leaving this island in the first place, do you?"
"Yeah."
"Honestly, the two of you... do you have any idea how self-serving that sounds?"
"" ... ""
Judging by their guilty expressions, they were perfectly aware. Both of them.
But neither showed any sign of taking it back. Their will to become stronger wasn't going to waver over something like this. Nothing was going to change that.
One, for the sake of the crewmates he'd fight alongside through the seas ahead.
The other, for a lover, an island to protect, and the people living on it.
They sought the power to cross seas they couldn't currently survive, to defeat enemies they couldn't yet beat, to fight through the coming New Era.
Annoyingly, that kind of youthful drive? I didn't hate it.
"...Well, fine. Sorry for being a bit mean about it. If that's what the two of you want... then that's okay. You don't have to join the Golden Lion Pirates. But you will pay an appropriate price in some other form. Understood?"
Hearing that, Zoro raised his head, relief and something like joy on his face.
Saga looked about the same.
...And so did Maya, who'd been peeking out from behind cover with a worried expression.
"Also, just so we're clear, I basically can't have you two out in the open, so keep that in mind. Saga might be fine, but... Zoro, you're very much a member of the Straw Hat Pirates. I have my own position as a Shichibukai, and being openly seen sheltering or training a Pirate who isn't even under my command would be a problem."
It wasn't like Zoro himself was joining the Golden Lion Pirates, nor were the Straw Hat Pirates as a whole becoming subordinate to the Golden Lion.
On top of that, Luffy had been the eye of the storm in both the Summit War and the Impel Down Prison Break before it, making him a figure newly regarded as a serious threat by Marine Headquarters. Sheltering a Pirate from that kind of Crew was genuinely dangerous.
Thinking about it, Hawk-Eye in the Original Work was doing something pretty risky too.
...Well, in his case, he probably just didn't care about any of that.
"We'll work out the details from here on, but expect to hole up somewhere and train there, so prepare yourselves for that. And this should go without saying, but wherever and however we do this, it starts after those serious injuries of yours heal... so get better fast, Zoro. More haste, less speed."
"...Yeah, got it. Sorry, Saga... I'll be in your care a while longer."
"Don't worry about it. You've always been like this... your everyday training has always been way too brutal. If you think about how much harder the training ahead is going to be... resting up now shouldn't hurt."
...Oh right, right. I should probably ask this too, while I'm at it.
"Zoro, one last thing."
"...?"
"Who do you think is going to become the Pirate King?"
"...!"
Another slightly mean question from me.
Zoro looked momentarily surprised when he heard it... but immediately after, without a shred of hesitation, he answered.
Our Captain, he said.
Monkey D. Luffy. He's the man who will become the Pirate King.
I had no objection to that whatsoever.
I personally had zero interest in becoming the Pirate King... and if anything, as a fan of the Original Work, I was rooting for it.
...Even so, if he truly, seriously wanted to make that dream come true... his strength was still nowhere near enough. He'd have to work hard.
The seas ahead demanded not only further honing of skill but mastery of Haki as well, or survival would be impossible.
'...Well, on that note, I happened to have several people who needed training, including my own girls... so when I think about it, this whole situation might have actually worked out rather conveniently.'
As promised, I'd look after Zoro.
But Zoro wasn't the only one I'd be looking after, and I'd be using a variety of methods, balancing things with everyone else.
'Right now, at this point in time, they're close enough in ability to each other... so in terms of having them compete and push one another, the timing might actually be perfect. Now then... who's going to get how strong over these next two years or so...?'
To be continued...